Paint brushes



May 7, 1957 H. H. scHwARTz Erm. 2,790,986

PAINT BRUSHES Filed Deo. 31, 1952 Jean Tac/cer INVENTORS United States Patent PAINT BRUSHES Harold H. Schwartz, Port Chester, and Jean S. Tucker, White Plains, N, Y., assignors to Empire Brushes, Inc., Port Chester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 31, 195.2, Serial No. 329,006

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-192) This invention relates to a brush for applying a liquid to a surface. It is more particularly directed to a brush of the latex emulsion type, commonly called a water paint brush.

The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings, and which will be described hereafter in greater detail, comprises generally, a brush back, and a plurality of knots of relatively ne gauge monolament bristles extending outwardly from the brush back and converging toward each other.

It is a principal object of the present invention to pro vide a brush of the type described having a highly improved knot securing means, which includes means for excluding moisture from the brush back.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a paint brush employing crimped rnonolament bristles of fine diameter, so that the brush will pick up and retain a good paint load, and the paint will not run up and down the bristles.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a brush of the type described in which the bristles of each knot are selected of different lengths according to a predetermined proportion. The proper proportions of various lengths of bristles will combine to produce excellent spreading of paint when applied, and the absence of course bristles will prevent brush marks or streaking of the paint. In addition, the brush is easily washed out as the monofilaments absorb a negligible amount of water.

As the knots are inclined inwardly, there will be no tendency of the bristles to are, and the brush may be used within a well dened area. Furthermore, the rcrimped bristles tend to merge which minimizes spreading of the bristles and prevents ngering.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a'brush of the type described in which the individual knots are secured to the brush head by individual staples receiving the knot and extending into the brush back. Heretofore it has been common practice to insert a plug into the brush back for holding a knot in position. The plugs were subject to swelling upon absorbing moisture, sometimes cracking the brush back or the plug itself. This action of the brush back and plug resulted in loosening of the bristles, so that the bristles would flare outwardly or fall out of the brush back. By the present invention, the plug is eliminated and a waterproof glue covers the brush back to prevent the absorption of moisture.

The knot securing means of the present invention provides well dened spaces between the knots adjacent the brush back, and good density of bristles at the free ends thereof. The spaces between the knots, adjacent the brush back, form wells for holding a great quantity of paint for feeding the latter to the free end of the bristles. The high density of bristles at the paint end of the brush provides a smooth and even spreading, so that the paint retained by the brush will cover a maximum area, and dipping of the brush will be minimized.

2,790,986 @patented May 7, 1957 ICE It. is yet a further object 0f the present invention to provide brush of the type described in which the bristle ends are roughened and tapered to better hold and spread paint. The roughened and tapered ybristle ends act in the manner of a plurality of bristles and, being invisible to the naked eye, such roughening and tepering will help to eliminate brush marks.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a brush of the types described which is simple and durable, effective for its intended purposes, andV which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost. Y

Other objects of this-invention'w-ill in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. Y

The invention accordingly consists' in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified infthe construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

in the accompanying drawing, i'n which is shown various lillustrative embodiments of this-invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of a brush constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of the crimped monolament bristles; and

Fig. 5 is a highly magnified view of the free end of a roughened bristle. t

`Referring now more particularly to the drawing, i@ designates generally a' brushemploying the present invention. The brush comprises a handle l1, a brush back on one end of the handle, and a plurality of knots of bristles 13 extending outwardly fromthe brush back. The brush back 12 is formed of an elongated solid body 14 having an inner face 15 and an outer face lo, and having its ends rounded as at 17 and 1S. The handle 11 projects from the inner face 15. The Aouter face 16 is formed with a plurality of transverse rows of cylindrical sockets or inwardly extending openings, best seen in Fig. 3, where there is shown a section through a transverse row of the openings.

Centrally of the face 16 are a pair of transversely spaced openings 20 and 21 which extend inwardly from the face 16 at right angles thereto and terminate in en'd walls 22 and v 23, respectvely.- The end wal-ls are spaced from the inner face 15 of the brush back. Outwardly of and spaced transversely from the openings-20 'and' 21 are openings 24 and 25, which extend inwardly through the face i6 and terminate in end walls 26 and 27. The openings 24 and 25 are each inclined at an angle of three degrees toward the openings 20 and 21 from their end walls 26 and 27 to the face 16. Adjacent to and spaced outwardly from the openings 24 and 25 are openings 28 and 2i?, which extend inwardly from the face 16 and terminate in end walls 30 and 31. The openings V2S and 29 are inclined inwardly toward the openings 20 and 21 at an angle of six degrees from the end walls 3b to the outer face 16.

A knot 50 of mono'ilament bristles is selected of various lengths in the desired proportions, and the knot is crimped to render the individual bristles zig zag in configuration, as seen in Fig. 4. Thus, each bristle, generally designated 4t), is composed of a plurality of substantially straight portions such as 41 `and 42 at an angle with respect to each other. The individual filaments are of uniform diameter, and the filaments of a particular knot are selected of the same diameter or gauge. It has been found preferable to employ filaments fabricated of polystyrene or copolymers thereof. It will be noted that the congura- 3 tion of the individuallaments causes ,thetilamentsto merge and minimize flaring or spreading.

When a knot of lilaments has been selected and crimped, it is folded about itszwmid-.portion `andfinserted into one of the previously described nope'ningsiin the brush back. TheknotSO has itsffoldedfrnid-portioniinserted intothe opening .28, and a-,Urshapedtfastener or staple 51 has its bight portion receiving the midportion of `the knot `50 and its-legs extending .throughthe-end wall 30 into the brush back 14.

Thus, it is seen that-every lament of theknot is secured within the Ybrush back by ,a simplefstapling operation. In order to waterproof the .brush back andzfurther secure the bristles within the openings, theopenings Yare lled with glue as at 52. 'Sufficient glueris used to till all the unoccupied space in the openingsand voverliow onto the face 16 as :at 53. Thisrprocedurefis'employed for every opening andtknot. lnpractice, the `openings arelilled prior to the insertion of thelknot'and the `glue caused to ooze out of the openings.` Ineither case, the glue fills the openings and Kcovers the outer `surface 16 to provide a waterproonglayer and prevent moisture from entering the openings.

When all,the openings have been filled with knots of bristles, it will be seen that thepbristles will converge outwardly such that the outer edge 55 Vofthe bristles is narrower than the brush back. This willfacilitate the painting of moldings and other narrow pieces.

The free end of the iilaments are roughened and tapered by positioning the brush at an angle with respect to a moving abrasive,such as, sandpaper, :and with its bristles engaging the abrasive. This will cause thetends `of the bristles totbe roughened and tapered, in which condition they hold more paint, and act as a plurality ofzmieroscopic filaments to help eliminate brush marks. It is preferred to dispose the brush at a forty-livetdegree angle with respect to a sandpaper surface and lubricate the sandpaper with water during the operation.

In view of the foregoing, it is seen that a paint brush is provided which has a high painttloadcapacity, which dispenses the paint in a smooth `and even manner, and which is adapted for long continued and reliable use.

It is further seen that the `present invention achieves its intended objects, Aand provides a paint brush which eliminates Haring bristles, and in which the bristles are securely held in the brush back.

u It will thus beseen` that there is provided a device in which the several objects ofthis inventionare 'achieved and which is well adapted to meet'the conditions `of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made ofthe i ,zen-ameno above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described.ouninventiom we claim as new and desire to secure by`LettersiPatent:

l. A brush comprising an elongated backing member having a .plane outer face, said backing member being provided with a plurality of`longitudinally spaced transverse rows of cylindricalsoekets, the saidsockets in each transverse row comprising a pair thereof adjacent the longitudinal centralplane of the backing member whose axes are normal to said. plane outer face, a second pair of sockets one of `which is disposed laterally outwardly of each of said first sockets and whose axes converge outwardly toward and are disposed at angles of substantially 3 to the axes of .said lirst pair of sockets, and a third pair 'of sockets oneof which is disposed laterally outwardly of eaehofsaidV second sockets and whose axes converge outwardly toward and are disposed at angles of substantially 6 to theiaxes ol said first pair of sockets, and a bundle of bristles having a butt end disposed in each of said sockets with the two inner longitudinal rows thereof projecting :from `said `backing member normal to said plane outer face, andthe outer longitudinal rows thereof projecting from said backing member and converging toward the saidtwo inner longitudinal rows with the free ends ofthe bristles in substantial contact laterally of said backing member.

2. A brush according to claim l wherein each bundle of bristles is folded :intermediate its ends providing a bight whichis disposed in atrespective socketa staple engaged within the bight and driven into said backing member, said sockets being of greater diameter than the transverse dimensions of said bristle bights, and the spaces in said sockets surrounding said bristle bightstbeing filled with glue which extends through the hights of the staples and the said plane outer lface of said backing member beingprovided with Ta coating of glue intermediate said bristles and adhesively engaged therewith.

References Cited inthe-tile of this patent UNITED STAT ES` PATENTS 771,926 Papenfus Oct. ll, 1904 960,362 Maendler June 7, 1910 1,280,810 Morrison s Oct. 18, 1918 12,040,245 'Crawford May l2, 1936 2,293,302 Morck Ang. 18, 1942 2,511,004 Peterson June 13, 1950 v2,522,305 ASchumann Sept. 12, 1950 

